5 small cylinders from the Cylinder Blocks.

MATERIAL PRESENTATION:

The Knobbed Cylinders consist of 4 wooden beech blocks. All four are equal in shape and dimensions (45 cm long, 6 cm high, 8 cm wide). Each holds ten fitted cylinders. Three blocks each contain 10 cylinders from 5 mm to 5 cm in diameter. One block has 10 cylinders all with a single diameter of 2.5 cm.

The first block: the cylinders vary in two dimensions (variation of diameter)

The second block: the cylinders vary in three dimensions (variation of diameter and height)

The third block: the cylinders vary in three dimensions in the opposite direction;

The fourth block: the cylinders vary in one dimension: height.

PRESENTATION:

- fetch the knobbed cylinder block from the shelf with the child, placing each hand at the ends

- sit at a table with the child, placing them on our left

- bring the block close to us

- take out each cylinder one by one using the three fingers: thumb, index, middle finger

- lift the cylinder slowly, holding it vertically above its cavity; start by removing the cylinders at the ends of the block, either the largest or the thinnest, and take out the thickest and the thinnest one after another, placing each cylinder slowly on the table behind the block and in random order

- once all the cylinders are on the table, grasp one - starting with the ends -, bring it above a cavity of the block while turning it over, then visually assess the cylinder's perimeter and the cavity's perimeter

- once we have judged the two perimeters to be equivalent, insert the cylinder into the cavity very slowly. Proceed the same way for each cylinder

- once all the cylinders are back in place, invite the child to do the activity in turn